Caught and Confused
by Shadows of Reverie
Summary: Inuyasha was never one to catch on quickly, at least when it dealed with a certain miko from the future. Assumptions were made, but was he right? What does Kagome have to explain to Inuyasha? Are secrets told, and if they are, will they be accepted? R&R!


**A/N: This is my first one-shot, so take it easy on me. But please, by all means, click that wonderful little button at the bottm that says "REVIEW".**

**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Inuyasha**

**Caught and Confused**

A clear spring day, complete with lush green grass, a pale blue sky, and a gargling river. This was her paradise. Kagome couldn't think of anywhere else she would rather be. Well, save for the Goshinboku tree; that would forever be her most cherished place.

Kagome slipped off her shoes, along with her socks, and dipped her toes into the cool water of the river. She sighed.

'Stealthily he moves, making no sound or indication as he approaches his prey…' Thought a certain hanyou as he spots the miko who was completely oblivious of his whereabouts. He smirked. 'She really needs to learn to keep an eye out for trouble instead of leaving herself so venerable.' He creeps his way closer, being sure not to make any noises. He stopped in a tree a few yards away from the girl. 'One…Two…Thr—'

"Inuyasha…" Kagome calls behind her in a cautioning tone.

'Shit, how does she know I'm here?!' He made no sound, staying where he was, perched on the branch.

The girl sighs. "I know you're there Inuyasha, so just come out." She still had not turned around to even look to see if the said person was there.

Inuyasha gives an exasperated sigh and leaps down gracefully to land behind her. "Alright, how the hell did you know I was there?" He demanded, a bit miffed that his little scare plan had been ruined.

Kagome smiled. "I just do." She pulled her now numb feet from the water and stood up beside him.

His eyes narrowed a bit. "I'm not buying it. How did you know?!"

"You really want to know?" Kagome asked as she began to pull her socks and shoes back on. 'Why does he want to know anyway? I thought he would've figured it out by now.'

"What kind of stupid question is that?" Inuyasha fumes back. 'I swear, she loves to toy with my head!'

"Well you don't have to yell at me, you jerk!" Kagome snaps back, getting irritated.

"Well if you would just tell me, then I wouldn't be yelling!"

Kagome closes her eyes and takes in a deep breathe, exhaling slowly.

'Not good…' Inuyasha noted, as he watched her try to calm herself down. He should run. Like, now!

"Inuyasha…" Kagome said slowly; eyes still closed, hands clenched lightly into fists.

"Wait, don't…" Too late to run. His legs wouldn't move even if he wanted to get away. He saw her eyes open. But what really had him tense was the look in those eyes; they were calm, but he could see the pinned up frustration that was hiding just beyond the façade.

"Sit boy." Kagome commanded. A slight trace of the annoyance she held could be heard.

As he expected, he was reacquainted with his friend, whom he seemed to meet a lot lately, with a grunt. "Damn it…" He muttered as he tried to lift his head, but the spell was too strong at the moment.

"Now, to answer your question." Kagome started. "You of all people should've figured out why I could sense you, you baka."

Inuyasha began to feel his limbs again. He slowly stood up, dusting himself off and starring at the girl with a look of confusion. "Oh really?"

Kagome sighed, walking towards him. "Yes really."

Inuyasha watched her as she came forward. He becomes a little wary when she was getting close. A little too close. "Umm, Kagome…?" He watched as her hands were roughly three inches from his haori, and getting closer.

She ignores his questioning look, and her fingers make contact with the robe of the fire rat. She carefully moves the fabric back slightly.

"K-Kagome, what are you doing?" Inuyasha was not used to Kagome this close to him. He had to restrain himself from pushing her back a bit.

Kagome's fingers hook around something in his haori. Inuyasha looks down as she closes her fingers around whatever it was she was looking for. With a small tug, Inuyasha notices whatever it was, it was around his neck.

Kagome lifts the string that she had tugged on, to reveal a small glass bottle tied at the end, holding three of the sacred jewel shards inside. "I could sense you, because I sensed these."

Inuyasha stood there, dumbstruck. "Wait a minute, when did you put those around my neck?" He scowled.

Kagome giggled lightly. "When you were asleep early this morning." She smiled. "I'm really surprised you hadn't waked up, but then again, you were sound asleep."

He had fallen asleep? When? Inuyasha thought for a moment. Oh yeah, he was fairly close to where Kagome had been sleeping, and her scent must have lulled him to sleep. She did smell good; but, he wasn't going to tell her that.

"You should have waked me up. I was supposed to watching out for you guys, not napping." Inuyasha scolded.

Kagome shrugged. "I didn't want to, you seemed so peaceful. Besides, you never get any sleep." She let the vial fall from her hands to hang about the hanyou's neck.

There was a long silence that followed. Inuyasha was confused. Why had she given them to him in the first place? Didn't she know it was dangerous for humans or demons alike to have even one of the shards? How many times had she witnessed the power and destruction that followed when a demon possessed them? Had she not learned?

Kagome watched as different emotions flew across his face while he was in his daze. "Inuyasha…?"

Didn't this girl remember what he had told her at the beginning of their quest? The sole reason he had for sticking by her until the jewel was complete? He just couldn't understand how she was so willing to trust him with not one, but three shards. True, his intentions have been altered now, thanks to her goody-goody attitude that had changed his whole outlook on life and what he wanted. But, did she know that? Did Kagome know that he no longer wanted to use the jewel to become a full demon, and no longer a hanyou? He doubted it.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome said louder, snapping him out of the onslaught of questions that kept popping up his mind, over and over again.

"What?!" He demanded gruffly.

"What is it that has you so out of it?" Kagome asks. She was getting a little worried at that look he had on his face, which seemed like he was in his own little world. Inuyasha wasn't usually one to start daydreaming and space out.

"Nothing wench." He huffed. His eyes averted hers, and that did not go left unnoticed by the miko.

"You're lying. Now tell me what it is." Kagome put two gentle fingers under his chin, turning his head to where she could look him in the eyes.

Inuyasha sighed; he closed his eyes as he tried to form some kind of explanation. "Why?"

"Why?" Kagome repeated. "Because I want to know what has you so up-tight, that's why."

He opened his eyes to look at her with those stunning golden orbs. "No, I meant why did you entrust me with the jewel shards? You know it's dangerous for someone with demonic powers to have them in their possession, so why put them around my neck, of all people?"

Kagome was speechless. Didn't he even have a clue? Or was he still too dense in the head to put two and two together? "I-I…"

Inuyasha waited as she seemed to be struggling to come up some form of sentence. "Why Kagome?"

Should she tell him? Should she risk everything she has kept a rein on, trying to keep it under control? Kagome looked into his amber eyes with a sparkle in her own chocolate orbs. "I trust you Inuyasha."

"But I'm half demon Kagome. If I used the shards, they would be tainted." His ears drooped, lying nearly flat against his head.

Kagome looked at him with a smile and giggled softly.

Inuyasha's ears perked up a bit at the familiar sound of her laughter. Though, the reason for her laughter was a mystery. "What's so funny?"

Kagome's giggled subsided and she smiled at him. "Silly Inuyasha, you're such a baka sometimes." She paused. "I put them around you because I trust you enough to know that you would never use the shards for your own wants."

Inuyasha felt his heart lift slowly with each word she spoke. His heart accelerated and his breathing was coming in shorter. "Kagome…" He said softly. Without even having to think about it, he was moving forward towards her.

Kagome's eyes widened slightly as he neared her. "Y-Yes Inuyasha?" Great, now she was stuttering like a love struck girl. Okay, so yeah, she was a love struck girl; but she could usually keep her heart from fluttering like it was when he said her name.

"Kagome, I need to tell you something…" Inuyasha sighed, trying to collect his thoughts and somehow mold them into a comprehensible sentence. He never was one who was good with words; that would be Miroku, who so poorly used his talent upon flirting with women, resulting with a smack in the head from Sango. The fool deserved it though if he had the nerve to stroke every female's butt, including Sango herself.

Kagome stood there, frozen to the spot. She couldn't speak, couldn't move, or even think coherently. The anticipation was going to drive her nuts. What was it that he so desperately was struggling to tell her? Did she want to know? Her thoughts were cut off by a sigh from Inuyasha.

He was so close to her now. Her scent was wafted towards his nose by the wind behind her back. That wonderful, intoxicating aroma that was all Kagome's. He inhaled deeply, taking in her scent, while at the same time trying to muster the courage to speak.

"You…you are one of very few people that accept me for what I am. You always smile, even when things get rough. You're always worried about me in a battle, and refuse to let me out of your sight when I'm injured. No matter how many times you go back to your era, you always return. You show compassion to those who are unworthy of any kindness. And…" He seemed to struggle with how to word what he intended to say next.

Kagome's heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest any second now. Was she really hearing all of this? She didn't think she had ever heard Inuyasha talk so much before.

"And…dammit Kagome, I love you!" He blurted quickly. His ears flattened back against his head and his eyes drew shut as he awaited the rejection that was sure to come.

Kagome stood there, eyes wider than she thought possible. His entire statement, she thought, seemed to be impossible. Dreamed perhaps. She stared at him for a moment. For once, he looked helpless. Kagome stepped closer to him, wanting nothing more than to hold him. Her fingers clenched his haori as she embraced the hanyou.

Inuyasha's eyes flew open as the miko attached herself to him. She—She was hugging him? Did this mean she had accepted what he confessed? His arms wound themselves around her waist, pulling her closer as she clung to him. He buried his nose in her hair, immediately filling his nostrils with the divine scent of hers.

"I love you too, Inuyasha." Kagome whispered softly.

Inuyasha's heart thumped in his chest wildly. 'She…loves me? Kagome really feels the same?' He took his head off of hers to look down at her. He looked at her chocolate eyes that told him everything he had ever wanted to know. His gaze shifted down to her lips. Those beautiful pink lips that seemed to taunt him the more he looked at them. He leaned closer, slowly, and touched her lips with his own in a gentle, but passionate kiss.

Kagome stiffened ever so slightly from shock. But she soon found his lips irresistible and kissed him back demandingly. She moaned as Inuyasha nipped carefully at her bottom lip, which gave him the chance to slip his tongue inside.

Too soon they had their lungs burning in their chests, demanding a little something called oxygen. So, they broke apart, reluctantly. Inuyasha smiled down at the girl, whose face was flushed crimson. He nuzzled her neck, and growled softly in content.

He had finally told the woman he loved his feelings for her, and she loved him back. This feeling he had was an all-time high for him, having never felt anything like this. Kagome was _his_, at long last. He knew someday that he would ask her to be his mate and stay with him forever. But, for now, holding her like this, knowing she loved him, was pure bliss.


End file.
